


Give A Little

by ToukoTai



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Gen, M/M, and sucker punching you, destiny kicking down your door
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-11-15 15:32:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11233926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToukoTai/pseuds/ToukoTai
Summary: Kaito didn't ask much of life, just to run his flower shop in peace. It's too bad the family business is more determined then he gave it credit for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally this story and Thief of Phantoms were one story but I felt there were too many different threads that distracted from each other. so you get two different stories with some thing of the same theme for the price of one!
> 
> Title taken from [Give a Little by Family of the Year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XOjk9UuriE)

Kaito is contemplating his order sheet for the next week's inventory when the bell above the door rings. It's been a quiet night, not that many customers, for which he's somewhat grateful. it gives him time to get ready for the next day, so he doesn't have to stay late. There'd been nothing special about the day or the evening to herald the sudden turn his life was going to take. It’s always the _most_ mundane days when things go off the rails, he’ll later reflect.

“Welcome to-oh it’s just _you_ .” Kaito's normally polite welcome stalls out when he sees just who it is walking into his store. He tapped a pencil against the counter. Eyes squinting suspiciously at the new arrival, or really, arrival _s_ , since there’s an unfamiliar person in tow.

“Good afternoon to you too, Kuroba.” Hakuba tilted his head just that littlest tiny bit, the amount that said ‘I acknowledge that I hate you’. Even though they'd known each other for years, since they were teenagers, Hakuba and him had never quite settled into an actual friendship. Always, instead, hovering on the edge between barely standing each other and grudging acceptance of their lot in life of being constantly thrown together.

“Aw, I see you brought a new friend with.” Kaito clasped his hands together in front of his chest. “It brings happiness to my heart to see you socializing like a normal person.” The barest twitch of an eyebrow was all Kaito needed to know Hakuba was full on scowling on the inside.

“This is my associate, Shinichi Kudo. He consults with the homicide division.” Hakuba introduced the unfamiliar, familiar stranger. His voice absolutely devoid of emotion. Which meant Kaito has gotten under his skin.

So, point to Kaito.

“Homicide? Don’t you do thefts?” Kaito tapped the pen against the counter idly. Legitimately curious. As far as he knew Hakuba never strayed from Division Two. Oh sure, sometimes a theft would intersect with a homicide, but as far as Kaito knew, Hakuba didn't knowingly consort with Division One outside of cases.

“I wanted to tag along.” Shinichi’s voice was quiet and he watched Kaito far too closely for Kaito’s taste. Like he was searching for something, which, okay, they did look somewhat alike, but not enough for this level of scrutiny. “You helped on a case we worked on together and I wanted to offer my thanks. Please, call me Shinichi.”

“Oh, um…” Kaito tossed a quick confused look at Hakuba. “You’re welcome?” He ventured when there didn’t seem to be any help forthcoming from that area.

“Do you...not get thanked very often?” Shinichi asked, brow furrowing in perplexity. Kaito felt just as confused as Shinichi looked.

“Hakuba and I don’t have that kind of feel good friendship.” Kaito said, “I don’t mind helping him out of a tight spot though.”

“Kuroba and I were classmates, as I’ve said. We have a _complicated_ relationship.” Hakuba supplied calmly. Kaito grinned widely at Shinichi.

“He went through a phase where he was _convinced_ I was the Night Baron. Accused me the first time he met me. Then he followed me everywhere hoping I’d slip up or something.” Kaito grinned at Hakuba’s actual grimace there. He never liked being proven wrong. More unexpected, however, was Shinichi’s sudden jerk. A hastily covered up flinch. Interesting that. It didn’t look like Hakuba had noticed. Also interesting. Hakuba was normally extremely attentive to the people around him. Or at least, he was always extremely attentive of Kaito's every twitch. Which meant Hakuba didn't believe that Shinichi was guilty of anything, but Shinichi obviously felt guilt over _something_.

Kaito wasn’t quite liking the suspicion that was forming.

“I have already apologized for my transgression.” Hakuba snapped, teeth clicking together. “You almost fit the profile completely.”

“I’m just too much of a stage presence apparently.” Kaito filled in for Shinichi, smiling his widest, toothiest grin. Deciding not to act on what he thought he knew. Honestly, Kudo couldn't be _that_ uncommon of a name though Shinichi did have the same eye color as his Father's student...

“No, your ego is too large to _not_ allow you to take credit for the heists. If anything, you fit the Kaitou Kid’s profile.” Kaito’s voice held a sharper edge to it when he replied. The Kaitou Kid always brought out the anger in him.

“Too bad he’s _retired_ , huh? And probably old enough to be my dad. Otherwise you’d have a new and exciting reason to hound me. Unlike now. When you don’t. At all.” He paused dramatically, noted how Shinichi’s eyes had gotten rounder and rounder as he spoke. Yeah, he really didn’t like the suspicion that was only gaining traction the longer they talked. It also didn't help that he was subtly baiting these reactions out. “Why are you here again?” Kaito finished innocently.

“I only call on you when a case demands it.” Hakuba muttered. He’d never liked admitting he was wrong, and he'd had to, several times when they were kids. Kaito didn't think Hakuba would  _ever_ forgive him for  _not_ being a criminal. To him it was only a matter of time until Kaito was guilty of _something_. “A case I’m consulting on demands a botanist's expert opinion. In absence of that, we have you.” Kaito gasped theatrically.

“Used for my extensive professional knowledge of flora, I should have known!” He could keep on waiting until he _died_ as far as Kaito was concerned.

Shinichi blinked a few times during this exchange. Extremely surprised. Maybe even a little dumbfounded. Kaito smirked internally. He might not be all that interested in being a detective, but he’d learned how to read people well enough to not get played himself. Shinichi was a decent liar, if he'd fooled Hakuba into thinking he was above suspicion, he had to be. But he wasn't getting anywhere with Kaito. His suspicion was all but completely confirmed.

After all, Kaito was used to dealing with people far more talented in lying. Grew up around them, learned from them. (And was used to lying to those same people.)

The visit is short after that, visits with Hakuba always are. Neither of them wants to be in the same area as the other any more then they have to. Shinichi spends the time staring intently at Kaito. Hakuba describes his problem. An art thief has been hitting up museums and private collections in the area without warning and leaving no evidence behind. Except for a Cattleya orchid, left at each crime scene as a calling card. Hakuba handed him a picture of the orchid to study.

"Any information you might possess on this specific type of flower would be greatly appreciated." He said.

Kaito hummed in thought, studying the picture intently as his mind wandered. Finally, he handed the photo back, shaking his head slowly.

"I mean  _I_ don't sell that type of orchid myself." Kaito rubbed his mouth, "Hang on though. I know a guy or two that would." He left the counter to unlock and enter his back office. Different from the storage room, this room was bigger then most would expect from a back office. It held the normal office things: his desk, chair, computer and then three whole walls of floor to ceiling books and binders. His library so to speak.

"That's a lot of material." Shinichi hesitantly spoke up, his voice a little awed. Kaito shrugged, surveying one of the walls.

"I like to keep records of my suppliers. Never know when it'll come in handy." He threw a wink over his shoulder at Hakuba, who's hand clenched into a fist. "Like right now." He turned back to the wall, skim reading the labels on the binders. "Most of this is my own research. Orchids are especially interesting. Do you have any idea how many species of Orchids there even are?"

"Currently over a hundred thousand individual species of orchids exist, mostly comprised of human cultivated cross breeds." Hakuba answered dutifully. Because of course he'd do his homework before coming to Kaito. True to form, Hakuba didn't like to be proven wrong and if he had to meet with his 'most glaring failure', he'd do his best to ensure that Kaito wouldn't have the upper hand again.

"Right," Kaito heaved a binder off a shelf. "Some of them are pretty rare and it looks like your thief has a taste for specialty crossbreeds. Here," He handed the heavy binder over to Hakuba. Who almost dropped the binder in surprise at it's weight. "The answers you seek are in there." Hakuba huffed and struggled to slide the binder under his arm into a more comfortable carrying position.

"It would be too much trouble for you to just tell me the information?" Kaito smirked, a little nastily sure.

"Where would we be if one of our esteemed Division Two detectives couldn't handle a little reading?" Hakuba rolled his eyes and turned to leave. Kaito turned to Shinichi to see him off as well. In a surprising move though, Shinichi hands Kaito his phone number.

“I would like to get to know you better. I think we’d work well together.” He says in lieu of a real explanation, passing over the piece of paper with his digits scrawled across. They both ignore Hakuba’s borderline scandalized look. “If you’re free sometime, I’ll treat you to coffee as a thank you.”

Kaito makes no promises but accepts the paper with an over the top gleeful ‘thank you’ because he really, _really_ can’t help sticking it to Hakuba.


	2. Chapter 2

When his phone rang a day later, Kaito should have known better then to answer it. He really should have. In his meager defense, he was busy with a wedding arrangement and absentmindedly answered without checking the caller id. (He had no one to blame but himself.)

“Little dove, are you quite ready to fly the nest? I grow tired of waiting.” Kaito checked the impulse to throw his phone at a wall. Settling instead for sticking his tongue out, even though Akako wouldn’t be able to see it. It was the thought that counted.

“Are you  _ still _ hanging on with the dove metaphors? It’s getting old.” Akako called at least once a week, and Kaito had never been able to effectively dodge her call. Every week she asked the same question. Kaito had yet to change his answer. Which was a non-answer. It had been  _ years _ since he’d entertained the thought of picking up where his father left off as a magician.( _ In all things magic _ ) Since before he’d even met Akako, so he wasn’t sure how she even knew.

“You would have made quite the magician. You still could be. Your legacy is intact, your substitute is merely keeping the audience warmed up for you. He’ll bow out with grace should you accept your calling.” Kaito hated it when her voice took on that all knowing fortune teller’s lilt. 

“Knock it off, Akako.” Kaito snapped, patience long gone.

“Kaito, has it occurred to you, that I want you to be all that you could be? That this grand game of our’s is because I see you falling short of your destiny?” Kaito hung up without a second thought and set to work finishing the arrangement.

Of course, after that disaster of a phone call, he decided to make one of his own. His track record was  _ amazing  _ so far, so what was the harm? He needed a break, a night on the town, and okay, sure, he wanted to confirm his suspicions. To Kudo Shinichi’s phone number he went.

 

“Tonight?” Shinichi fairly squeaked. “I can’t, I have, I’ve got plans. Things to do. Important stuff. Not that you aren’t also important but-”

“How about the night after?” Kaito cut in before Shinichi could ramble himself into a deep dark hole. Honestly, the man was  _ terrible _ at lying.

“Yes,  _ tomorrow _ night. That’ll work great! Thanks, I’ll uh, see you then!” Kaito wrinkled his nose after the click. For someone who was so gung ho about being his new bestie, the sudden reluctance was a little odd. More then odd actually.

Kaito tapped his cellphone against his chin, contemplating his dark storefront.

So this was how a moth felt about flame.

 

The papers the next morning proclaimed another successful switch heist by the Night Baron. Kaito narrowed his eyes at the headline and dodged ten calls from his mother throughout the day. He wondered why he was even surprised by anything anymore.

That night, Shinichi was energetic. Hands waving as he ranted about a case he’d recently solved. If you didn’t know that Shinichi was usually reserved, and had your own suspicions about his night life, Kaito mused, you’d probably miss that he was burning off residual energy from an adrenaline high.

He doesn’t say, ask or hint at anything being out of the ordinary. It’s pleasant being out on the town with company that isn’t trying to convict him for crimes he hasn’t committed, convince him to commit said crimes or ‘just call your mother Kaito, jeez.’. It’s relaxing as they bounce from storefront to storefront, hit up the bookstore, and finish off at a cafe. The night ends well.

And the next morning Shinichi is in his shop with two cups of take out coffee.

Kaito’s resigned to this becoming a  _ thing _ now.

 

Kaito idly wondered when the other shoe would drop. It wasn’t coincidence that Shinichi was deliberately inserting himself into Kaito’s life and routines.

He was waiting, watching for something. And Kaito, with a sinking weight in his stomach, knew exactly what it was. Suspicion as good as confirmed.

When it finally happened, Kaito wasn’t even expecting it. Denial was old hat for him by then.

“Kaito.” Shinichi broke the quiet one slow sunny afternoon, maybe a month after they’d started this arrangement of their’s. “I have to ask,”

“Uh-huh.” Kaito didn’t bother looking up from the inventory checklist he was pouring over, figuring it’d be some boring question about his finances, or his homelife or something like that.

“Did you…” Shinichi paused, mouth twisting as he tried to think of the best way to word this. “Did you ever find out…” He stopped again. This time, Kaito’s warning lights started flashing and he cautiously peered over the top of his clipboard at Shinichi. A rather flustered, sheepish, helpless looking Shinichi wrestling with words. “What color hat your dad wore?” He finished rather lamely. Kaito slowly lowered the check list down to the tabletop, and straightened up. Shoulders forming a solid line.

“You want to know, if I ever found out what color  _ hat  _ my father wore?” He asked slowly and carefully. The warning lights in his head were now equipped with alarms. Shinichi nodded miserably. Kaito leaned forward and studied Shinichi intently. Quietly, under Shinichi watchful stare, he put his clipboard down, grabbed his coat and walked to the door. “It was a white top hat.” He said before leaving. More then confident that Shinichi would lock up in his absence. He was reliable for things like that.

 

Kaito knew. 

Of course Kaito knew. (He was surprised Shinichi even had to ask considering what he named the shop) 

He knew all about his father’s legacy since he’d accidentally fallen through the painting door at sixteen. And he’d been doing a wonderful job pretending he didn’t for the rest of his life. His mother had been hedging around it for years, ever since the Night Baron had made an appearance on the scene. His jewel heists being an exact contrast to Kid’s. Kaito had been thus far doing an excellent impression of playing dumb every time his mother started to edge in that general conversational direction. 

He had no intention of picking up where his father left off. Kaitou Kid was what killed his father, and ruined Kaito’s family. It didn’t matter what his dad had been hoping to achieve because in the end, all that was left was an empty house, with a little boy and a big secret inside.

Kaito fully intended to let this sleeping phantom lie until the end of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I said I like writing Kaito running away. I meant it.  
> Yes, he found the KID room on his own, no he never told anyone that he found it. In this 'verse he goes the exact opposite way from canon, where he pretty much blames KID for the reason his entire life fell apart and why would he want to pick that up when he's lived through the fall out once?
> 
> Meanwhile Shinichi is jumping up and down with a sign that says 'notice me'. He's trying so hard guys.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man, oh boy.  
> We get ourselves some ANSWERS this chapter.

“Have you ever thought about maybe, picking up where he left off?” Were the first words Kaito heard the next day, after Shinichi had handed him a tall takeout cup of his favorite coffee.

“Buwha?” Was his entirely coherent response. It was like the first thing of the day. Kaito had not been expecting a continuation of the previous day’s topic. He peered at the cover of the coffee cup hoping that it at least would make sense. With a huff of impatience, Shinichi reclaimed the cup, tugged the top off and slid it back under Kaito’s nose. Kaito hummed happily into the steam. Shinichi seeing his moment opened his mouth to reask, except Kaito, far more awake then he’d been given credit for, flicked his eyes pointedly to the clock. “Aren’t you late?”

With a swear, Shinichi tore out of the shop. Kaito considered the subject dropped, hopefully forgotten.

Until Shinichi returned with the afternoon lull.

To ask the same question.

 

“Is this some sort of cop trick?” Kaito demanded, after flipping the store sign to ‘closed’. “To get me to admit to illegal activities? Because Hakuba’s been trying them for  _ at least _ a decade.” Shinichi sighed his most put upon sigh to date. As though  _ Kaito _ were the one bothering him and not the other way around.

“No, Kaito.” Kaito admired the restraint in his voice. “I’m not actually a police officer, I’m a consultant for the  _ homicide _ division. Not thefts. I am not going to use this against you in  _ any  _ way.”

“Well, that’s where you’d be wrong.” Kaito poured the false cheer into his voice. “If you knew whatever my answer is, then you’d use it against me. You’d have no choice.” Shinichi drew himself up, looking extremely affronted.

“I wouldn’t turn you in!” He exclaimed. “I wouldn’t do that! I give you my  _ word _ .”

“There are other ways to use this information against me, whether you mean to or not.” Kaito said, tapping his fingers along the edge of the counter. Shinichi’s mouth shut with a snap. “What would you do, if I told you what you wanted to hear? My friend said you’ll bow out with grace, but let’s just say, I have my doubts.” Shinichi’s sharp intake of breath caused Kaito to smile lazily at him. “Oh yes. I know what kind and color of hat  _ you  _ wear too.” Shinichi’s mouth firmed into a thin line, his eyes going sharp. Kaito didn’t think he’d ever be on the receiving end of Baron’s infamous Soul Stare.

“How long?” Kaito drummed his fingers on the desk again, not even the least bit cowed. A Soul Stare can’t even begin to penetrate his Poker Face.

“You’re not the only observant one around here.” He dodged around answering. The truth being a combination of knowing his father, knowing his _mother_ and that Shinichi was a horrible liar. Even when he wasn’t lying directly. “How do you even find the time? Police consultant, private detective  _ and _ new moon activities.”

“I like to keep busy.” Shinichi said quietly. Kaito thought it was a wonder Hakuba didn’t even slightly suspect him. “Why don’t you think I’ll quit?” Trying to change the subject on his own. Kaito let him.

“Because, you hunted me down for a partnership as a  _ flower consultant  _ of all things. Your father  _ knew _ my father. Who taught your  _ mother _ . They told you all about it, and taught you how to fill in when it became obvious  _ I _ wasn’t going to do anything.” Kaito paused before going for the kill. The thing he knew Shinichi would expect to hurt  _ Kaito _ the most. “How much would I make if I bet my mother had more then a hand in bringing you up to snuff?” Shinichi winced, one hundred percent on target so far. “Everyone knows the Night Baron is a contrast to Kaitou Kid. You’d compliment me, you were trained to.” Kaito continued smiling up at Shinichi, though he couldn’t even feel it on his face anymore. “If I took the stage, you’d want to be there right next to me. Don’t lie.” 

“I don’t think I was ever fully prepared for how smart you are.” Shinichi admitted ruefully, his eyes cutting off to the side and flicking back to Kaito. “Even when I was warned.”

“You’ve been waiting a really long time to meet me haven’t you?” Kaito asked, gently. He couldn’t help softening a little when he saw Shinichi. Who happened to look completely  _ miserable _ with the turn his question had taken. Well, this is what you get for keeping secrets like that, Kaito thought a touch vindictively. But thinking like that wouldn’t help either of them in the end. Kaito knew that too.

It was important to remember that Shinichi had been set on this path, and he wasn’t entirely at fault. Just another thing to lay at the feet of the Kaitou Kid and of course, his mother.

“Since I was sixteen,” Shinichi admitted softly, “but I couldn’t just walk up to you. That’d be too suspect. It had to look natural.” Kaito’s smile turned more friendly and far less predatory at the admission.

“I must have driven you up a wall.” Shinichi nodded, a tentative smile of his own appearing.

“You were never where I thought you’d be.” He said, voice quiet with reminiscing. “I must have lived out of the Blue Parrot before I realized you never went there if you could help it.”

“Not that into billiards.” Kaito offered offhandedly. He was remarkably terrible at any form of pool. A feat since he was more then smart enough for angles and calculations. It was just whenever his hand closed around a pool cue, everything went horribly wrong.

“I heard differently, something about a legendary pool cue.” Shinichi was as innocent as they came with that. Kaito shrugged one shouldered.

“Occasionally, I dabble.”

“When I discovered you went to school with Hakuba, I started going to every crime scene he was at only to find out you weren’t actually friends.” The grumpiness in his tone surprised a laugh out of Kaito.

“Well, not the kind of friends who go to crime scenes together.” He explained, once he got ahold of himself. “What kind of friends do  _ you _ even have where that’s a legitimate thing? Wait nevermind. I’ve met them.” Shinichi ignored him, continuing right on.

“Finally, Hakuba mentioned he had a friend who ran a flower shop during a case. I didn’t think too much of it at first, until that friend of his helped us solve the case.” Kaito remembered that case. Hakuba had called him at two in the morning, sounding for him at least, a touch maniac. He fired off several technical questions about rare flowers and flower meanings and hung up on Kaito without saying why. Kaito had read about the case in the newspaper the day after. “So I asked about his friend.”

“And he mentioned me by name.” Shinichi nodded. “And here we are. With you trying to convince me to play Superman to your Batman. Or Harley to your Ivy...or something like that anyway.”

“I wasn’t going to-”

“Save it.” Kaito said, rubbing a hand on his forehead, pinching at his temples. “You said you’re really good at reading people, well guess what?  _ So am I _ .” He dropped the hand, to glare at Shinichi. “You might not be aiming to right now, but sooner or later you would. You can give me your word all you like, but I’d know and you’d know and it’d be stuck between us.” It’d fill Shinichi’s silence and spill over into his tone, into his words until he’d be asking without even asking. Kaito sighed. “You wouldn’t be able to help yourself. Just like with this  _ being friends  _ thing , you  _ want _ a partner. And I’m the only game in town.”

“Kaito,” Shinichi’s voice had a slight desperate edge to it. “It’s more then that, this is  _ bigger _ then just stealing some gems every now and then. I wouldn’t have gone along with it if it was. And I, I can’t do it alone. You’re right. I can’t, and you’re it. You’re all there is. I don’t just  _ want _ you, Kaito, I  _ need _ you.” Shinichi planted his hands on the countertop and leaned in close to Kaito. Kaito didn’t flinch or move back, just stayed calm and still. “But Kaito,” Shinichi hissed, only a few inches between them. “Don’t think for a  _ single second _ that I  _ don’t _ want you.”

“Are you going to kiss me now?” Kaito asked, after a few seconds of intense staring.

“I can if you want me to.” Shinichi offered, not moving back an  _ inch _ . Well, that was... _ something _ , Kaito thought, ignoring the way his stomach twisted pleasantly.

“I need a few days.” Shinichi nodded at his response. “Give me until the end of the week.”

“Alright.” He stepped back out of Kaito’s space finally. “I’ll call it a week. I’ll stay out of your way. Just,” Kaito raised an eyebrow. “Take care of yourself.”

“When haven’t I?” Kaito muttered, throwing himself backward in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. Shinichi laughed weakly, turning around to exit the store. Kaito’s grumbling was cut short as his phone vibrated again on the countertop. “And get my mother to stop calling me!” He yelled at Shinichi retreating back.

“She worries about you.” Was the only answer he got.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito's mom plays enough headgames that I could totally see her helping train Shinichi to be a phantom thief in a bid to force her son into figuring out his family legacy.
> 
> Some brief explanation on how I see the Night Baron operating.   
> He's a direct contrast to Kid. No advance notice and his always take place on the night of the new moon, aka when there's no moon in the sky. Instead of informing the police beforehand, he informs them after. They have to solve the riddle to find out what he stole because he always leaves a perfect replica behind. So the owner won't know it's missing.  
> He always lets at least one camera get a perfect shot of him in Night Baron uniform. Looking right at the camera and that's where the whole Soul Stare thing comes from. It's really just Shinichi's 'Imma figuring you out' look.


	4. Chapter 4

Kaito couldn’t go to Akako with this, he knew what her answer would be. Likewise he knew what his mother and what Jii would say as well. All biased parties of course. He couldn’t go to Hakuba either, because as annoying as Shinichi was turning out to be, Kaito might actually be falling in love with him, a tiny little bit, and having him arrested would put a damper on their romance.

There was only one person left of his inner circle to turn to.

 

“So that’s the story?” Aoko asked, her father safely off at the precinct for this tale of dastardly no good.  


“That’s the story.” Kaito confirmed, hands flat on the table in front of him. Aoko nodded, her eyes going down to her steaming mug of tea. She contemplated it for a very long time. Kaito let the silence wash over him, not lifting a hand to take sip of his own. Of all his friends and family, only Aoko's advice on this mattered. She was his oldest and closest friend. She'd would have his and only his best interest at heart. A few years ago, he wouldn't have been able to do this though. Back when they were teenagers, he knew what her answer would be, to turn everyone in. But as they'd grown up, she'd been finding the world was less and less black and white, painted more in shades of grey. So Aoko sipped her tea in quiet thought and Kaito waited on her verdict. Finally she set her cup down on the table.  


“It must have been very important,” Aoko said slowly, eyes still staring thoughtfully into her mug of tea. “For your father to risk himself like that.” Kaito shrugged. “He loved you and your mother very much. It  _ has  _ to be something very important for Kudo to risk himself the same way.” Kaito wrinkled his nose again. “I think…” She trailed off for a moment, her eyes snapped up to Kaito. “You haven’t been happy.” Kaito blinked, at the sudden, sure declaration. “Ever since you gave up on being a magician you haven’t been happy. Was it because you found out about your father?”

“Yes.” A question like that warranted an honest answer. Kaito’s rejection of all things Kaitou Kid had extended even to his childhood dream. Besides, the flower shop had been his fall back career choice anyway. He’d been growing his own since he was a kid after all. Aoko nodded to herself. She lapsed into quiet again, looking over his shoulder out the window. Finally, she focused back on him, matching Kaito’s gaze.

“This is something you have to decide for yourself, Kaito. No one else can do it for you.” Kaito huffed, ducking his head to peer up at her from under his bangs. Nearly whining in frustration. “But you were always the happiest when you were practicing magic tricks.” She smiled at him fondly. “And my father was always the happiest when he had Kid to chase. Whatever you chose, I will support you.”

 

Kaito headed back, next door to his house as soon as he'd finished his tea under Aoko's watchful eyes. He walked a sweep through the empty house, checked all the doors and windows. Closed all the curtains, turned off all lights, shut the door to his room tightly. He drew his bedroom curtains and dropped the shades. Sparing a moment to glance across the alley to Aoko’s balcony. Once the entire house was locked down, he leaned back on his bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, the full length painting of his father watching him from across the room. 

Here in the quiet dark, he truly felt the weight of the decision descending around him.

_To be or not to be._ He snorted at the melodramatic thought. This wasn’t anything like  _ Hamlet _ . 

Or maybe it was in a way. The only son of slain father, whose ghost was begging him to find his killer. Kaito scrubbed at his face and growled to himself.

It wasn’t a question of being able to  _ be _ Kid. He might have given up on being a magician, but he hadn’t let himself get out of practice. His hobbies were his hobbies after all. Toichi Kuroba had kept detailed notes of his process and tricks. Coded so that no one would be able to know the truth or steal his show, so to speak. But he was Kaito’s father and he’d left them in such a way that his son would be able to understand them. For everything else there was Jii. And his mother.

(Though he doubted his mother would help him in a straightforward way.)

On one hand, what would this gain him? His father's killer? Did he want to know, was the actual question. Did he want to know the reason behind Kid, behind his father’s death? Did it even matter? His father was dead and gone. What would the answer to his death even bring Kaito now, these many years later?  


Nothing. It wouldn't bring anything. It wouldn't bring his father back, it wouldn't stop his mother from running. It wouldn't fix any part of Kaito's life that had fallen apart. So why bother?

But, on the other hand if he said no. Shinichi would still be the Night Baron, he wouldn’t stop just because Kaito didn’t want to take up the monocle. He'd been doing this for years, since he was sixteen. All by himself with trivial help from Kaito's mother and maybe one or two other people. Shinichi's parents knew, but did any of his friends? Did anyone really know who Shinichi was? There was nothing worse, Kaito decided, then having friends and still being lonely. Because Shinichi was _lonely,_ and getting desperate.  


So the question wasn't did Kaito want to find out the truth? It was could Kaito really leave Shinichi to deal with Kaito's family's legacy on his own? It was Shinichi's own choices that had led him there after all. It wasn't Kaito's responsibility to look out for him, he was a grown adult. And wouldn't Kaito grow to resent Shinichi for dragging him into the mess? 

But Kaito would miss him, would worry about him, if he left him alone. And Kaito  _could_ help Shinichi,  _could_ look out for him. And he had no doubts that Shinichi would look out for him too. Yeah, Kaito could admit that he was kind of lonely. And it would be _...nice_ to be doing grand scale magic tricks again. He had missed it, being a magician.

With all these thoughts in mind, Kaito laced his hands behind his head and made his choice.

 

“Shin-chan did you see! Did you see!” Shinichi almost dropped his phone at the high pitched voice on the other end.

“Yes Kuroba san. I saw.” He folded the newspaper so the headline stared back at him in bold black font.

“It’s just like one of Tochi’s! Oooh, this is so  _ exciting! _ I wish I could be there!” Shinichi blinked. He’d thought that the return of the Phantom Thief would bring the Phantom Lady to attendance, at the very least.

“You aren’t going?” He asked instead.

“No, I’m too far away and the airlines are all booked. Everyone wants to know if this is Kid’s comeback. Oh, he’s so popular even now!” Shinichi made a noncommittal humming noise. “Look out for him, will you? He’s so independent but a mother worries.” Her voice was soft and sad. Shinichi didn’t have it in him to point out that it was partly her own fault that Kaito was as independent as he was. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the thought that Kaito wasn’t upset that his own mother had spent more time with Shinichi then him growing up. Maybe Kaito had known about the arrangement longer then he’d let on. Maybe he’d known from the moment the first Night Baron Heist had been publicized. Or maybe Kaito wasn’t upset with  _ him _ and therefore wasn’t letting his anger be misplaced onto Shinichi. After all, Kaito regularly dodged his mother’s phone calls, and never answered them after a Baron Heist. 

Shinichi wasn’t going to get in the middle of just yet.

First came getting Kaito back on board, then once he’d secured his partner in crime, he could turn his attention to patching up the private life and relationships.

It looked like he was well on his way, the headline of the paper proclaiming the first reappearance of Phantom Thief 1412 in well over a decade.

“I’ll be sure to take pictures.” Shinichi promised, absent mindedly, already making plans for attending.


	5. Chapter 5

The night of the Heist was a warm pleasant spring evening. The neon lights of city blotting out the stars in the sky. But not the full moon. Because of course the return Heist of the Kaitou Kid would have a full moon. Shinichi, attuned to the phases for his own purposes, surprisingly hadn’t realized that the deadline Kaito had set fell on the night of a full moon.

Had he made his decision even back then? Was it a subconscious choice? Planned?

Shinichi resigned himself to never fully being able to predict Kaito.(It was a refreshing turn of pace.)

The twisted jittery feeling of anticipation as Shinichi and the newly reformed task force waited for the clock to count down was comforting instead of nerve wracking. He didn’t realize he’d been waiting almost his whole life for this until it was happening. The crowds outside swelling as the appointed hour got closer, chanting the countdown.

Everything Shinichi had ever been told about the Kaitou Kid, every story, every retold memory, every case file and video,  _ paled _ in comparison to the real thing. When the clock boomed out the hour, when the room suddenly went dark and with a puff of blue smoke, a man in white rose from a crouch on the display case, where he hadn’t been even twenty seconds ago, towering over the task force members. Shinichi’s breath literally stopped, taken away by the sight. Something he’d never actually  _ thought _ he’d see. 

A phantom lit only by the brightness of his suit against the dark of the room. The top hat perched at such an angle to throw whatever the monocle didn’t cover into shadow. Standing on his prize, surrounded by a crowd of police, every one of them ready to arrest him and not looking the least bit afraid.

Not quite the first Kid, but every bit as grand, glam and full of style. If you didn’t know, then you wouldn’t be able to spot the difference. A full rebirth of a legend. And Shinichi had front row seats. He can feel his smile start to hurt when Kid opens his arms wide, cape spreading dramatically around him and announces in heavily accented English the  _ true  _ start of the Heist.

“ _ Ladies and Gentlemen!~ _ ” 

  
  


“You  _ shot _ at me!” Shinichi frowned at Kaito. Back in his civilian clothes and safely seated in Kaito’s kitchen. Mugs of post-Heist tea steaming merrily on the table in front of them. The gem already on it’s way back to the police, tucked into the Inspector’s pocket himself. It had given Shinichi a little bit of a heart attack to learn that Kaito lived  _ right next door _ to the Inspector. And was not only best friends with his daughter, but from what Shinichi could tell, was considered the son the Inspector didn’t have.

“I shot  _ near _ you.” He corrected mildly, deciding to stop worrying about it. That had to be a factor Kaito had already considered.

“You shot  _ at me _ .” Kaito repeated, throwing his arms up in the air. “What the hell man! I thought you  _ wanted _ me to do this!”

“I do. I wanted to see how good you are.” Shinichi smiled at him, lightly, happily. Completely pleased with whatever thoughts his mind was throwing up.

“There are better ways to do that then  _ shoot  _ a loaded gun at me!”

“Kaito, that’s something that’s going to happen a lot now that you’re Kid. I just wanted to know you’d be ready.”

“And?” Kaito stretched his arms wide. “What do you think now?” Shinichi grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, yanking him close. Close enough that their noses were almost touching.

“You’re perfect.” He whispered because Kaito had been. He was everything Shinichi had been told he’d be and more. Kaito grinned, eyes lighting up like gems themselves.

“You can kiss me now.” He said imperially and well, it would have been bad manners to refuse.

So Shinichi did.

“What made you change your mind?” Shinichi breathed, once they separated. Still so close that he could feel when Kaito’s lips moved against his own.

“You.” He answered simply. “Couldn’t leave you out there on your own. And I can do something about that, so I did.” Shinichi doesn’t even apologize when he pushes Kaito up against the counter hard, so intent as he is on making sure Kaito understands exactly how much Shinichi appreciates it.

 

Shinchi punched Kaito in the shoulder.

“Um, ow?”

“You named your flower shop after Kid.”

“You’re  _ just now _ figuring that out?”

“I was distracted.”

“I wasn’t even being that subtle about it! That’s why Hakuba kept getting on my case about being the Night Baron in the first place.” Kaito stopped, his mouth dropping open. “Oh  _ no _ .”

“What? What’s wrong?” Shinichi asked, heart starting to speed up.

“I just realized,” Kaito rubbed his hands together, eyes darting around the room. “Hakuba’s going to be  _ insufferable _ now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah sorry, I didn't have it in me for a full Baron and Kid joint Heist. Mostly because the way I see it going down would be two different targets on the same night. With Kid taking the spotlight and all police resources for himself, leaving Shinichi a lot less to worry about.
> 
> I also like to imagine that they keep their thief personas as separate as possible, just to confuse the bad guys and the police. But this leads to the media inventing the wrong relationship between the two of them. Because Kid only came back after the Baron had been operating. And always steals right before a Baron's Heist, so _clearly_ Kid is trying to start shit with the Baron.
> 
> Yeah Kaito, you should have factored _Hakuba's_ reaction into your decision. Didn't think of that, did you? _Did you?_

**Author's Note:**

> I will probably never get tired of writing Kaito running the opposite direction from everyone else, even when they want to help him.  
> *Edit* To be clear, Kaito isn't Kid and hasn't been. You'll get more on that as the story progresses.


End file.
